Cranberry-Orange Bread

A classic flavor pairing makes this quick bread a sweet-tart treat with a little extra brightness thanks to the orange glaze.

Ingredients

For the bread

1 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened

9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbs. baking powder

3/4 tsp. table salt

1-1/4 cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries, halved if large

1 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1-1/2 Tbs. finely grated fresh orange zest

4 oz. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the glaze

4 oz. (1 cup) confectioners’ sugar, sifted if lumpy

4 tsp. orange juice; more as needed

Nutritional Information

Calories (kcal) : 330

Fat Calories (kcal): 110

Fat (g): 12

Saturated Fat (g): 7

Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 0.5

Monounsaturated Fat (g): 3.5

Cholesterol (mg): 65

Sodium (mg): 340

Carbohydrates (g): 50

Fiber (g): 1

Protein (g): 5

Preparation

Make the bread

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter and then flour the bottom and sides of a 6-cup (8-1/2 x 4-1/2-inch or 9 x 5-inch) loaf pan, tapping out any excess flour.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well blended. Stir in the cranberries.

In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest. Whisk until blended. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Add the melted butter. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold until blended.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake, rotating halfway through, until the top is golden and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes.

Let cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes. Invert the bread and remove the pan, turn the bread right side up, and let cool completely.

Glaze the bread

In a small bowl, stir the confectioners’ sugar and the orange juice until smooth, adding more juice, 1 tsp. at a time, until the glaze is just pourable. Drizzle the bread with the glaze and let it set for 30 minutes. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Reviews

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Reviews

This was the first of several quick breads I'm making for the family and as gifts for friends over the holidays. I used re-hydrated cranberries from dried instead of fresh and they worked fine. The overall result for the bread was good flavor, moist and not overly sweet. The glaze came out well, too. I decided to get more for gifts by splitting the recipe into two 8"x4"x3" aluminum loaf pans from the grocery store instead of the recommended 9"x5".